Devil’s Backbone

Over MLK weekend, we had a family gathering in one of our favorite places, Charlottesville, Virginia. Family from Michigan, Chicago and Denver all traveled in for a belated holiday weekend (complete with Christmas presents). We stayed in a house/cabin in Wintergreen Resort and toured the Charlottesville region, fitting in as much as we could in a quick weekend.

The first night we cooked in, celebrated Christmas with our annual gift exchange, had a dance party and played Bounce Off. If you have not played this game yet, you should. Anyone can play and it’s active but also easy. I hate complicated board games, so this game is my favorite. It’s simple, any number of people can play and everyone has fun without much thinking! We played a few rounds before dinner and had a blast!

Another highlight included our hike to White Rock Falls off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Our hike was perfect for a crowd because it featured great views, water falls and was short and sweet. It definitely packed some down and uphill variety without being too challenging. For a crowd of visitors, it was the perfect way to get out into the Blue Ridge and experience its natural beauty.

The fog that hung in the mountains all weekend made for a cozy feel but also made night driving tricky. Our house was at the top of Wintergreen and was difficult to find in the dense fog and darkness! I would suggest day trips to get home before dark in future trips.

Jon and I have a bit of a thing for a good Bavarian-style Hefeweizen and Devil’s Backbone’s Trail Angel Weiss does not disappoint! Jon and I love visiting Devil’s Backbone Base Camp after hiking in the George Washington National Forest. This beer is the perfect way to kick back, relax and re-hydrate after a long day on the trail. It’s fruity, not too heavy, but also fills you up a bit since it’s a wheat beer.

We enjoyed this after hiking a few sweaty miles on the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Late summer scenery looks good on you, Trail Angel!